The Dust of 9/11

Published: May 21, 2006

To the Editor:

If the effects of inhaling World Trade Center dust are debilitating but treatable for firefighters, as a recent health study suggests (''Firefighters' Lung Capacity Suffered After 9/11 Work,'' news article, May 16), New York's public health authorities ought to do two things.

First, they should offer screening and treatment to neighborhood residents who suffered significant exposure. Second, they should prevent the next wave of exposures as buildings like Deutsche Bank, containing large quantities of dust, are taken down. That process is now entrusted to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, an agency with no relevant expertise. Better supervision could avert another wave of 9/11 casualties.